However, The minor’s family gave a different version of what happened. The teenager’s father publicly assured that his son was sleeping when the operation began and questioned the police actions. “They shot him like a rat, they killed him like a dog“he stated in statements to Telemundo (Channel 12).
In scenarios of this type, where there are opposing versions of the same sequence of eventsimages captured by body cameras often become one of the most relevant pieces of evidence for researchers.
“It’s the support we have”
Republican Guard sources consulted by The Observer They pointed out that the The use of body cameras responds precisely to the need to have an objective record of the procedures.
“Are thousandths of seconds in searches, they are decisions that are very difficult,” they noted.
The sources added that the troops must make decisions in fractions of a second and that the audiovisual record allows them to subsequently analyze precisely what happened.
“Obviously, we trust in police action and we understand that there is film support. Nowadays the camera is used for everything, it is the support we have”they stated.
The images cannot be altered by the police
According to the sources consulted, one of the central aspects of the system is that the officials who use the cameras They do not have the possibility of modifying the registered content.
“The body cameras that we use, cannot be manipulated. We cannot delete, edit, or anything that is recorded in those cameras,” they explained.
As detailed, each procedure generates a formal record which is associated with a management number and has multiple backups.
“Every time a procedure is performed, a management system number is generated, a backup of the videos is made in the unit”they indicated.
Furthermore, they pointed out that when the police report is prepared all audiovisual evidence is sent to the Prosecutor’s Office.
“When the police report is uploaded, which goes directly to the Prosecutor’s Office, all the photographic and film material there is is uploaded”they stated.
The sources highlighted that the system incorporates security mechanisms that prevent the alteration of records.
“There is no way for us to adulterate the images or videos that are filmed because they have a code and we do not have access to that”they maintained.
Furthermore, they assured that “there is always a backup in the Unit” each time a procedure number is generated.
The “tranquility” of the registry and protocols
The importance of these records was also highlighted by the authorities of the Ministry of the Interior. In a press conference held on Thursday evening, the minister Carlos Black He noted that the procedure was recorded by the body cameras used by the officers who participated in the raid. “That gives us peace of mind”valued the minister.
Consulted this Friday about the case in Informal Breakfasts (Channel 12)the chief of Police of Montevideo, Alfredo Clavijoavoided referring to the content of the recordings because they are part of an ongoing judicial investigation.
“We cannot confirm that because it is within a judicial procedure, It is reserved, only the Prosecutor’s Office has to evaluate it, it has to register it, waiting for all that to end“he stated.
Clavijo was also consulted about the evaluation carried out by the Police of the operation that ended with the death of the teenager.
“The evaluation from a legal point of view is being carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office with Justice, because we are auxiliaries of Justice. From an operational point of view, the actions were within the protocols we have.”held.
The leader added that the house was raided because the investigation indicated that there were weapons there and people who used them. “The evidence indicated that it was a place where there were weapons, ammunition and people who were using those weapons, which therefore frightened others, putting the lives of others at risk.”he stated.
As he explained, body cameras are part of the tools that allow these types of procedures to be documented. “We understand that the protocols were complied with as appropriate”he stressed.
The police gun investigation
Body cameras are not the only element subjected to analysis when an officer shoots during an operation. The sources consulted recalled that In all cases in which a police officer uses his regulatory weapon, the weapon is removed preventively to be examined by the Scientific Police..
“In each procedurenot only in this case that one has to use the weapon, “He is removed to become an expert in Scientific Police”they explained from the Republican. Subsequently, the official receives another weapon to continue serving while the tests are carried out.
In the investigation into the death of the teenager, prosecutors and experts will seek to determine if the Physical evidence coincides with the preliminary reconstruction of the events.
For this, both the records of the body cameras such as the ballistic tests, the location of those involved inside the home and the rest of the elements collected during the raid.
For this reason, the images recorded by the troops appear today as one of the most important pieces of ongoing research and they could be decisive in establishing what exactly happened inside the home of García Lagos and Martirené.
